I’m sure you Cage Stans like myself have noticed that he’s released a few new tracks entitled Super Baked and Mayan Stop Watch as well as a snippet of a track called The Void. If you’ve heard these tracks, I’m sure you’ll also notice a pretty drastic lyrical departure from his last record, Depart From Me. Well, of course, I’ve got a few things to say about, not only these tracks, but Cage’s content change in general.
Anyone that knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of Cage’s Movies For The Blind. I would defend that album being an underground classic to the death. When I first heard that album, the way Cage flowed, as well as the ridiculous content, made it one of the dopest things I’d ever heard. To boost, after a recent talk with Ryan from Man Bites Dog Records about all the Masonic codes buried in the lyrics, I now think it’s even doper than I did before.
When Cage changed his style up on Hell’s Winter, while it was a departure, overall I felt like Hell’s Winter was just a more introspective Cage. No big deal. Depart From Me (Cage’s 808s & Heartbreaks), on the other hand, I felt was an extreme 180 from any of his previous material. I don’t throw the term “emo” around but let’s just say…he got very sensitive. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the album. I think songs like Nothing Left To Say, Eating Its Way Out Of Me and Depart From Me were good songs. Fellas, don’t act like you’ve never been dumped before and can’t relate to shit like “Tears eventually caked up. Inevitable break up. Laying in bed for days and then you wake up.” Fine. That’s some Drake-style bitch shit, but it’s still good.
So after this record dropped, all of his older fans like myself were curious and skeptical as to what he’d do next. I can say that I never thought I’d be hearing these new tracks that he dropped. What made me want to do this write-up was the other fan reactions I’ve read about these tracks like “Cage is back”, “These tracks are super dope”, “Alex The Wormking returns”, etc. But when I listen to these tracks, while I think they’re good, I can’t be quite as excited as everyone else. I really hate to be on some “you can’t come back” shit, but in reality sometimes you can’t. Cage strayed so far from the style that made him an underground legend that can we really get all that excited that he’s putting out tracks that kinda sound like forced versions of his old material?
And has anyone thought about his motives for doing these tracks? Cage gained a lot of new fans with his new style, but, at the same time, he lost a lot of his core fans. So did he come back to this style because this is genuinely what he felt like doing? Was he tired of people calling him an “emo faggot?” Did he just want to gain his old fans acceptance back? If you want my opinion, I’d say it’s a combination of all of the above. Cage tried something new that, depending on who you asked, could have been seen as a failure. Now he’s returning to, not only what his old fans want from him, but what he does best. That aside, let’s talk about the songs:
Super Baked sounds like something he would’ve done right before the Weatherproof EP. He even brought his old high-pitched voice that we all loved back. It has some creepy production with pretty throwback lyrics. “I don’t know if God gave me this brain, but if he did there’s a devil and he knows my name.”
Mayan Stop Watch has a beat much like something we would have heard on Depart From Me, which, of course, has to do with F. Sean Martin producing it. However, I think this beat is better than the beats he did on DFM. I really like the way Cage rode the beat and the lyrics were, again, vintage Cage. “Let’s play a drinking game. The blood of Christ is lame. Let’s say what was in his head was heroin and sniff his brain.”
The Void was an interesting reuniting of Cage and DJ Mighty Mi. If you’ve been following Cage, you’ll know he had a beef with him and his partner, Mr. Eon. Anyway, I wasn’t a fan of this beat at all. Some people are calling it “dubstep”, but I’m still sketchy on that genre so I’ll just say it sounds like a shitty electronica sample. If shitty electronica equals dubstep then there you go. I honestly didn’t get enough of Cage’s verse to really judge them, but the little I did hear sounded decent.
So, all in all, Cage has been dropping some pretty good new material. It’s a nice return to his old style, but is it too late? Will his fans take him seriously? Is his style change going to be dismissed or can he pull a Metallica, have fans forget about his Load and simply embrace his return? What do you think?
You gotta tell me about those “Masonic codes buried in the lyrics”.
My man, Ryan from Man Bites Dog Records is the one that told me about this. Like…he was hella deep with it, too. But I couldn’t even try to repeat it.
I don’t Cage really cares whether or not his “fans” take him seriously.
I’ve been a fan, and I love everything from “For Your Box” to “Depart From Me” because I understand his mind and I can connect to all of it. What people tend to forget is that artists are not just puppets for their fans, they are actual people. They express what they are feeling at the time, not what they think people want to hear. I think it’s funny how people called him “emo” for “Depart From Me”, but nobody was calling him “emo” when he dropped “Suicidal Failure” and songs with suicidal references on “Leak Bros.” It’s like people don’t really pay attention to the lyrics, but the image. Cage has always been true to himself. Those “fans” who expect him to stay in the same frame of mind for their entertainment are not true fans. I can understand if “Depart From Me” wasn’t someone’s taste, but the blatant disrespect he received for it was uncalled for.
Cage isn’t “returning to his old style” either, he’s just putting out different styles. Some of them seem to resemble his old style, but if you really paid attention to the lyrics there is a lot more than what it would appear to be on the surface. In “Super Baked”, he says “Wonder why I found so much joy in being horrible, doing deplorable shit they found so adorable” and “Kill me now if this is how my story ends”. Seems to me that he’s being ironic, sort of parodying his former self while giving people what they want. He’s got a lot of projects up his sleeve this year, but most people will not even really pay attention to the underlying story he’s telling. Another memorable line (from “The Void”) is “Allow me to redefine some more. If you don’t get it then stow away, until you do then you can get off and go away.” Cage is a lot smarter than many of his “fans” realize.
What up, man. Thanks for checking out the article. I’ll say I agree with a lot of what you said. Especially the frivolous throwing around of the term “emo.” While I totally understand why people did that, I still thought it was juvenile. As far as why they called him emo for DFM, but not for Suicidal Failure, I think it’s because that was just one song on an album of other shit. Nothing else on MFTB was really like that. I, obviously, also had to do with his appearance change…which I also think it’s fucking stupid. Someone’s wardrobe has nothing to do with how I judge his music.
Now, I’m thinking that neither of us are hanging out with Cage on a regular, so I can’t say for sure how Cage feels about his fans. Listen, everyone says that they don’t give a shit what their fans think. And everyone would love for everyone else to believe that. But every artist, deep down, cares a bit about what his fans think of his art. Sure, he’s an artist so he’s going to do what makes him happy, but he clearly cared about what people were saying about him. It may not have made him change (thankfully) but it still bothered him. As far as your comment about him returning to his old style…I think you knew exactly what I meant. But, if not, check his interviews during the Hell’s Winter period. He flat out said he was changing his style away from braggadocio and abandoning any misogynistic lyrics. I don’t need to quote lyrics, but since you’ve obviously listened to his newer songs you can see that he’s back to that style (which was barely on Hell’s Winter and all but gone from DFM). I mean, just based on the hook for “C U N Hell” it’s clear. Sure, not everything he’s done has been a lyrical return to old Cage, but it more so resembles that era than anything else he’s done. So, yes, I DID pay attention to the lyrics. He’s also said it himself, more than once, that he’s going back to his MFTB style. So seeing how that’s from his own lips, I don’t think I’m off-base at all by my statement.
I’ve said many times that I’m a huge fan of Cage’s work. However, I think when you are a super-fan to the point of losing the ability to be critical of the artist’s work, then you’re just becoming a mindless ear. I’ve said many times that artists should be given the freedom to do anything they want. But we, as the audience/viewers, have every right to state our opinion of the artist’s work. That’s what we’re here for. To digest art and give our own interpretations of it. But, sometimes, it’s also our job to interpret the artist’s motivations for it. And while I think Cage’s motivations seem to be completely personal, I’m not ignorant enough to pretend that I can’t see the other side of the coin.
I understand what you’re saying, and I wasn’t meaning to just call you out personally saying that you’re not a true fan but rather making some general points. Some people just weren’t fond of “Depart From Me” and that’s fine, but I think an appropriate reaction would have been something more along the lines of “I wasn’t feeling that album, I personally prefer his old style” as opposed to “Cage is a sellout emo faggot now”. I’m not saying you personally reacted that way, but I know that many of his “fans” did and your wording of “Is it too late? Will his fans take him seriously?” made those peoples’ opinions seem more important than Cage’s personal expression through his art, which I disagree with.
I do understand what you meant about Cage returning to his old style, I just look at things a bit differently. I think that people are fluid and ever changing, especially those who have a lot going on in their minds and a lot of time for introspection, and in the case of an artist those changes will be reflected in their art. People seem to have trouble understanding this, and I think that is because of a few factors. For one, they don’t really personify the artist that they listen to. They are a fan of the work, not of the artist. Others personify the image of the artist, and uphold the artist to that image not realizing it’s just a still frame in the artist’s life, a fraction of who they are and not the full picture.
You said that you are a fan of Cage’s work, but I am a fan of Cage as an artist. If that makes me a “super-fan” fine, but I’m not a “mindless ear”. I just appreciate his artistic expression. My taste in music is not fixed to one genre or style either. I listen to everything from Necro to Ani DiFranco to GG Allin to Bright Eyes, so I didn’t have the reaction that the “hardcore hip-hop heads” had to “Depart From Me”. Cage has always been a personal favorite artist of mine though, because I felt very connected to his mental processes and abstract expression. I also seemed to be going through similar phases internally, so I related to all of his albums at the times he put them out. I believe that during the Hell’s Winter period, he was planning to move away from the braggadocio, misogynistic lyrics. However I don’t believe that he should be held to that, because from then to now he has probably gained a lot of perspective. I don’t see this as much as “returning to his old style” as much as revisiting some of his old mental processes but combined with new perspective. He has also stated that most of his new material will be more Hell’s Winter style, except for Sam Hill which seems to be an isolated part of himself. I think his motivation is partially for the fans who appreciate that style more, but also serves as an outlet for those thoughts lingering in his brain.
I agree with you concerning DPF. I grew up around hardcore so I know what emo is. It’s a wack title that gets thrown at everything that has anything to do with being stereotypically soft. And I agree with you that people pay far too much attention to people’s appearance rather than the work they put out. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen our show or if you just wandered on here searching for Cage articles. But if you have, you’ll see that I’m VERY familiar with getting called “emo” and “faggot” so I can totally identify with Cage there.
Now, there are a few things I do disagree with you on. The first being that my wording of “Is it too late? Will his fans take him seriously?” is making people’s opinions more important than Cage’s art. Well, to state the obvious, I never said that. By those comments I was actually putting the question out there as far as how people feel about his return (yes, return) to his older style of rhymes/content. It’s a completely valid question that could go for anyone that’s been through drastic style changes. It had nothing to do with attempting to limit Cage’s creativity…and I’m not sure how it came across that way. The fact of the matter is, most times when a fanbase completely abandons an artist they either stop making music or their music is released far less frequently. Cage, clearly, lost a large part of his fanbase due to DFM and gained a new fanbase. So, my question was really in relation to whether the fans of MFTB or HW will hear this style that is more familiar to them and say “cool, this is the Cage I missed” or say “fuck that, he doesn’t sound genuine and I don’t wanna hear this.” Also, will his newer fans of DFM get down with this style since it’s not one they’re familiar with. My opinion, for what it matters, is neither. It was a question posed to others. Not an actual accusatory statement.
“You said that you are a fan of Cage’s work, but I am a fan of Cage as an artist.” Dude, come on. Are we really playing this game? You’re really splitting hairs and it seems rather pointless. I don’t wanna put words in your mouth at all, but I just have to tell you how you’re coming across. From your words I’m really getting a “I’m a bigger fan than you are” vibe from you. Especially from all the “fans” you’re putting in quotation marks. Perhaps you don’t mean to do this, but if you do, it’s rather pretentious and really doesn’t do anything to get your point across. That being said, believe me, I get your point. But saying I’m simply a fan of Cage’s work rather than him as an artist is not only incorrect, it’s a little arrogant. I’ve been following Cage since MFTB originally dropped in ’02. I’ve seen him every time he’s come to Atlanta since. I’ve spoken to him personally after each show. Not only that, I’ve gotten in heated debates with people defending him (his music and as an individual) so, please don’t tell me I’m only a fan of his work.
I completely understand you personally identifying with an artist. There are many artists in my life that I’ve done the same thing with. Robert Smith being a prime example. He, literally, changed my life with Disintegration…but that sure as hell isn’t going to make me defend The Cure’s last two albums, which I didn’t like at all. What I meant by “mindless ear” is someone that listens to anything and accepts it simply because of who it comes from without putting any analytical thought into it at all. Sorry, but because I am a fan of someone as MORE than just a musical machine I put a lot of thought into where someone’s music comes from both emotionally and demographically. Hence my article here.
I don’t know if you see it or not, but I’m noticing you’re basically saying the same things I’m saying. Just more so in defense mode, which I don’t really get. “I think his motivation is partially for the fans who appreciate that style more, but also serves as an outlet for those thoughts lingering in his brain.” I don’t see how that’s any different from the entire fifth paragraph that I put in the original article.
Okay, I think you are misreading me. My first comment might have been a bit on the defensive side, but in my second comment I was mostly trying to clarify and explain my perspective. I have a difficult time trying to express exactly what I mean sometimes, so sorry if my words are not coming across right. Sometimes meaning can be lost in translation, which is what happened when I originally read your article. Your wording came across to me with a different tone than intended. I was trying to explain how I read that wording and why I reacted that way, but I guess you can’t see it from my perspective because you meant it differently and aren’t seeing how I made that connection in my mind. It was just a vibe I got, kind of like the vibe you got from my last comment which wasn’t meant to come across that way either.
In your last comment, you stated that you are a fan of Cage’s work so I was just using your words. I may have bit a been defensive at that point because I felt that you were accusing me of being a “mindless ear” for not being critical of his work, so I was explaining that I am a fan of him as an artist in general rather than just his work. I used “fans” in quotations to refer to the people who judged him harshly after DFM, and since you already clarified that you disagreed with those harsh judgments I thought it would be clear that I wasn’t referring to you when I said “fans”. I did specify in the beginning that I was making general points, rather than singling you out. I only made the distinction at the end because you stated that you were a fan of his work, and I was trying to explain why I wasn’t critical of it and that it doesn’t make me a “mindless ear”. I just genuinely appreciate him as an artist, and I’m interested in hearing all of his artistic expression. That doesn’t mean that I don’t put thought into it. You can see that I do from how I quoted his recent lyrics, and put a lot of thought into the underlying stories and messages.
I did originally get the impression that you were coming more from the perspective of viewing Cage as a “musical machine”. I see now that is not the case, and I know you don’t understand how I got that impression. It did have to do with your wording, probably because I’m used to people who think like that and I personally would not have used a lot of the wording you did coming from my perspective. I’m not saying your wording was wrong, just that I read it in a different tone. I mean some of your wording in the original article, and in your last comment. It’s just not wording that I would use, and wording that I tend to associate with a different perspective. I don’t really know how to explain any further than that, but you have made it clear now that you are coming from a respectful position so I apologize for the misunderstanding.
I love Cage, and I think its nice that we’re seeing his old style return. Depart From Me was like Cage’s By The Throat. I hated that album, despite how much I love Eyedea. Same goes for Cage. I hope that his new project is more like Hell’s Winter and Movies For The Blind.
Masonic codes buried in the lyrics, please explain more…and I don’t hear the same energy behind these tracks but still love…will be really interesting.